The need for connectivity, that is the ability to “plug in” to a technology available in a work place, or, now, in a home (collectively, “work space”), has never been greater. In each setting, telecommunications, television, computer, power or like systems are the norm, causing every work space to have a physical connection to power and communications lines. This may be seen in offices, office system cubicles, as well as in libraries, classrooms, training rooms, conference rooms, team work rooms and, even, corporate lobbies and lounges.
Conventional means to achieve this connectivity are several. The most basic is the traditional wall outlet for power and communications lines. This solution is limited for practical reasons to those users whose furniture is close to a wall or column having an appropriate outlet. Flexibility is of course limited by the heed for a “tether” of lines from a desk to the outlet.
An alternate approach introduces a raised floor that allows flexibility, as well as accessibility to power and communications lines. A drawback to this approach is high price, which is associated with a need for either ramps or steps to walk on the floor or a depressed floor slab (which is only an option if a structure is so designed initially) to accommodate a height of the raised floor. Another alternative, which is related to the advent of office system cubicles, introduces “power poles.” A “power pole” is a low-cost method for providing power or communications connectivity through a vertical conduit that connects one or more cubicles or systems furniture to cabling above the ceiling. Although many users would prefer to avoid this awkward eyesore, power poles are economical and widely popular.
As a final example, which is situation dependent and largely based upon access, is a common technique known as the “poke through” method. This method provides cabling for power and communications lines by drilling a hole through a floor slab and passing cables through the hole. Common problems of this approach, other than its generally high cost, include potential structural limitations customary to coring through concrete floor slabs, inert penetrations that are permanent and cannot be moved as requirements change, access to the floor may be difficult when the room below the floor through which the hole is to be “poked” is occupied by a different party, and, in slab-on-grade situations (i.e., where a concrete floor slab is placed directly on the soil, with no cavity or space below) which is simply unavailable.
What is need in the art is a floor-mounted raceway that is economical and flexible, and can accommodate present and future power and communications (e.g., voice video, data, television or the like) connectivity requirements.